That’s a pretty meaty rulebook, and about on par with the original Necromunda one. Note the tokens and gang stat tablet on the left and right.

You will see the same tokens and gang stats pad here, along with posters and other marketing collateral. There are also quick reference rules pamphlets as well. Retailers should be getting these any day now.

More of the Hired Guns cards you can recruit into your gang.

Previous Info

Game Basics

Game should ship out early April

Here’s the basics from our BoLS reporter on site at the GAMA trade show:

Necromunda will re-released in a new reimagined edition.

Titled Armageddon Shadow Wars

Rules will be almost identical to the original.

Organized Play support will accompany the new game.

Unlike Killteam, there is a point-based system for buying your gang.

The game does NOT use the 40K rules, stats, etc at all.

The game will ship with 12+ factions.

The core box will contain Blood Angels Marine Scouts and Orks

Here’s the cards referenced in the rumors handed out to retailers at GAMA:

And of course the pics from GAMA:

~I can smell the scent of Necromunda in the air. Get your stub guns ready and move out!

If it’s a good crossover between 40k/necormunda/inquisitor then that’s just going to be icing on the chaincake.

Loki Nahat

Still waiting for Necromunda

Jared Swenson

Then you will be waiting a while. Necromunda has too narrow of an appeal to invest in making new kits for the old gangs. This is pretty much the same game with a broader appeal to more audience. This IS the necromunda reboot whether you like it or not.

Loki Nahat

I can lend them the metal models for mold casting if they’ve misplaced their molds

Necromunda has just as much appeal as Armageddon, there’s no more or less broad appeal

I would say that 40k has a wider appeal than Necromunda, not to say such a classic doesn’t have appeal. SW:A will allow any 40k player to join in and GW even said you can fairly easily port the gangs across. SG are still going to do Necromunda, or at least say they will so I imagine they will follow the same pattern as Bloodbowl, assuming that has sold as expected, with some gangs in plastic and FW picking up whats left. If nothing else SW:A should be more affordable…except for those lucky players who still have their Necromunda gangs.

ZeeLobby

It just means that this will be a side game to 40K core. Like death from the skies, kill teams, city fight, etc. It’ll be something people occasionally play compared to something with an actual community. I know a fair amount of people who played Necromunda without even playing 40K proper, mostly the RPG crowd. I think this will be a hard sell to anyone who doesn’t play 40K now, as buying a box of 5 models to use only one seems detrimental. Maybe they’ll release starters for the factions?

Aezeal

Why exactly would this situation be different compared to if the really redid Necromunda?

ZeeLobby

Because it would a completely different game to invest in. Different background, different models, different rules. Many times when we play those games above, we end up eventually getting bored. Why not just play regular 40K instead? There’s little incentive to buy the starter for the models, and it’s not like aesthetically or narratively that your getting a different experience outside 40k core. I mean it might just be a risk they’re not willing to take anymore. All of their older games, the ones praised as classics, didn’t share models with their core games (epic, warmaster, Necromunda, etc.). Because of that they put more effort into making the background and experience of those games unique and sales-worthy. My assumption, and I could be wrong, is that this will be tacked on with minimal support, like most of their recent side games.

One aspect I’m interested in is being able to port vehicles across to get some of the 2nd ed feel. Obviously, lighter vehicles only…maybe using the 40k in 40mins guidelines and some classic datafax cards updated with new weapon stats etc.

ZeeLobby

Yeah. I’m always willing to be surprised. But personally for me, it’d definitely be a big surprised. The way their already pushing “hired guns” to sell what many consider to be overpriced blisters makes me concerned that if this doesn’t start pushing blisters they’ll soon forget about it. Like I said, I’ll wait and see, but that’s the personal vibe I’m getting. I do really like the sound of the rules so far.

6Cobra

This is how it starts. This is how Baneblades, Knights, Primarch Magnus, and Warlord Titans end up in Warzone: Armageddon.

Aezeal

I think they shouldn’t do that.

Aezeal

Of course.. for old timers.. who already have models… sure for THEM it would be different. but then THEY aren’t target because they HAVE their gangs and no company is investing tons of money in gamers who are unlikely to buy more than 1-2 models. It’s not a risk doing that.. it’d be just dumb.
I was talking about potential NEW players.
And I think you are wrong: anything they release for multiple factions is likely getting some support (silver tower, blood bowl, this game and shadespire), not much models (maybe a few hero types guys) since that is way expensive and they HAVE tons of great models.

ZeeLobby

Lol. It’s like you understand GW game players when it suits you, and then you don’t. You really think no one would buy updated gang models? Clearly no one bought Genestealers Cult models because they had the old metal ones right? They would sell like hotcakes. Heck, the new Titan game would sell like hotcakes if they weren’t resin and we’re reasonably priced.

And your right. Some support as in maybe an expansion a year later and one or two scenarios in a white dwarf. Not like older games that had whole sections of the magazine dedicated to them for months at a time (Mordheim’s Town Crier mini mags, etc.) And constantly had new unique models on a monthly basis. That’s the kind of stuff that got people excited and kept them playing. I literally know no one who still plays silver tower now. Just another sacrifice on the GW side game pyre.

6Cobra

Dude, I’ve got metals of four gangs. I’ve been waiting – eagerly – to buy each of those gangs over again in resculpted plastic; possibly several times over depending on the options. Along with every other gang faction.

Guess how many boxes of Scouts, Orks, Grey Knight Strike Squads, etc I’m going to buy for W:A? I’ll give you a hint, it’s a number shaped like an oval.

Aezeal

Well I think you are a minority compared to the ones that will be buying, obviously GW thinks the same. We’ll see how it pans out.

I don’t play 40k and I want to play SWA (if its not too watered down from Necromunda). From what I understand, each Kill Team is based around a box of minis so Skitarii Rangers etc then you can hire characters.

Loki Nahat

I think that’s a reasonable assessment, this is probably more of a proving ground

Yeah, it would be cool if this game takes off and GW realised the market for Necromunda was bigger than they thought and so put more resources into it.

Xodis

The game is actually “Shadow Wars” so the next boxed set will probably not take place on Armageddon and will most likely bounce around a lot. Chances are if you ever see a Necromunda again it will be “Shadow Wars: Necromunda” and include some gangs.

Necro will be handled by specialist games, this is GW prime, they aren’t mutually exclusive. GW is just finally publishing official rules for using the rest of their line in Inquisimunda. IMHO they should’ve called it Inquisimunda, but I get that the name’s too obscure in its reference to an unpopular 54mm RPG lol

Hell-Nico

Let’s be honest and put down these massive pink glasses for a second okay ?

Beside, using the generic 40k setting and army instead of a really specific one will let the game use 40k fig, thus ensuring the sustainability of the game in the long therm. Instead of having a pretty limited fig line for a very limited audience you have a MASSIVE fig line already used by everyone else. It’s a win-win tbh.

And 40k as a whole is way more massive than the handfull of gang from Necromunda. So yeah…

And if you REALLY want to play as a gang from necromunda, just do it, you’ll need old figs or a bit and green stuff and you’ll be good to go, just use some rules that would fit you gang the most. Hell you could even take some ork rules !

I don’t buy that in the slightest, Necro has much bigger appeal and a bigger current player base than Adeptus Titanticus. Specialist games even suggested they would be doing Necro in their initial press release. It’s been a year, they’ve already released a bunch of BB kits, have a little patience

Keith Wilson

rumor has it that you can easily port in the gang traits etc and use them in this

I doubt it, this is as close as it’s gonna get.
After the genesteeler cults flop I think GW are gonna think twice about “cult fan service” and focus entirely on redesigning the games for newer players. A person is always biased by nostalgia but personally, I wouldn’t buy necromunda if i seen it on the shelf, I would buy the new blood bowl over an ancient copy. I don’t have to worry about participating in warhammer fantasy anymore because they’ve dumped it for an even more fun to play game.

I personally enjoy the fact that they decided to go with this route, instead of re-releasing Necromunda. Releasing a game with only two gangs would have been a hard sell for a new crowd, as I saw with Blood Bowl. With this one, it will be so much easier to get people into it, because you can just tell them to use their own collections to try it out and then they might get interested in getting different units to play with.

Other upside I see from this is the fact that with this release, they might even do Necromunda at some point. Since newer folk are more familiar with the setting and the rules, they might be easier to convince to try it, even with a limited selection of gangs.

I think your right that it’ll be easier to get more people to try SWA out. I just hope they haven’t diluted the rules too much from Necromunda.

Karru

I have a feeling they are going with similar approach that they did with Blood Bowl. Just some streamlining and “patch work” here and there. Maybe some simplifications, but not too much.

Jared Swenson

They did say they were going to do necromunda back when they announced relauching specialist games, but i think this is it. They may have intended to relaunch necromunda, but found by setting it in a different place to broaden the appeal by adding more races and armies, it makes much more sense on a business standpoint rather than investing in making gangs minis for something with a narrow appeal.

This is not a specialist games title, those guys are busy with AT and filling in BB, they will get to necro eventually

ZeeLobby

Well. And now if you want to run one flash got you have to buy a whole box :D. Win win for them.

orionburn

The majority of people are going to just use the models they already have. Plus single models are a dime a dozen on fleabay. Scouts are boring but I can use those guys and probably trade somebody at my shop the Orks. I love the terrain and that drives me to want to buy this more than anything else. Can’t really complain about the price point given what comes in the box, but at $130 (the last rumored price) it’s a tough pill to swallow right now.

ZeeLobby

Yeah. Really wish it was $100. I mean I know it’s mostly the terrain, but it feels like the models are just dead weight. Throw in GSC and Deathwatch, and it’d be such a cooler box.

orionburn

I agree. I’m sure the selection was to keep the price down, but scouts are boring as snot. There just isn’t a cool factor with them. Maybe if it were new models or came equipped with something unique it would have more appeal. It’s like having oatmeal for breakfast. It’s just hard to get excited about it…lol

ZeeLobby

Especially when you know that the awesome side of bacon can be purchased for less by itself on eBay, haha.

Hopefully they keep putting out more Shadow Wars boxes with other terrain and units

Fomorian

I want to bring a Genestealer Gang or Chaos Cultists onto the table! That’s so awesome and i hope we will see some kind of expansions, scenarios within the upcoming White Dwarfs!? Maybe they will put out rules for the old gangs also, would be fun as hell :)! …

Maitre Lord Ironfist

i feel like i am sold. So i start the 40k Diet.

Electrobix

I am hoping FW take the chance to make some new (old) gangs for this.

David Leimbach

I can see why it’s priced so high. The terrain pieces are massive.

Aezeal

Well it gives the box value even if you don’t want to play the factions. (unlike say the bloodbowl game… I don’t want either faction and I’m not going to pay full price when I just need the cardboard).

Xodis

The terrain alone is worth getting, but I guess I could use some Scouts and Orks lol
Having the rules and cards is going to be awesome though. If its below a $100 price point this should sell out almost immediately.